Debated in Parliament on 4 Aug 2026.
Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in reducing recidivism and adverse inter-generational impact (a) whether ComLink+ or Family Service Centres have a dedicated protocol for supporting families affected by incarceration; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop a Family Stability Plan for inmates with dependent children, starting from admission and continuing after release.
Mr Victor Lye asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider developing anonymised longitudinal tracking of children of incarcerated parents, including educational continuity, youth-risk indicators and offending outcomes.
I will take the questions filed by Member Victor Lye in today's Order Paper together as they both pertain to supporting inmates and their families.
To support families impacted by incarceration, Social Service Office (SSO) Family Coaches of ComLink+ clients and Family Service Centre (FSC) caseworkers will be notified when their clients, or their clients' family members, are incarcerated. This enables them to assess the family's needs and provide timely assistance to support the family, including those with dependent children.
In addition, as family support plays an important role in helping ex-offenders reintegrate into society and remain offence-free, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) facilitates family contact through face-to-face visits, televisits, e-letters, phone calls and family programmes. SPS also works with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to connect incarcerated parents with their school-going children through quarterly video conferencing sessions.
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) already conduct anonymised longitudinal tracking of children of incarcerated parents via the Intergenerational Transmission of Criminality and Social Disadvantages Plus study. The study found that children with parental criminal justice involvement were more likely to offend compared to those without such exposure.
MSF will continue to work with agencies to monitor and assess the effectiveness of these programmes and measures, including strengthening coordination between SPS, SSOs and social service agencies to support families impacted by incarceration.
PAPERCUTS